Sacred Land of the Incas Tour

This is a private tour that can be arranged for individuals, couples or friends, starting on any date you wish.

This incredible 7-day tour takes you to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and of course Machu Picchu. You’ll get to visit all the most well known sacred Inca sites and temples – including Sacsayhuaman, Pisac ruin, Ollantaytambo ruin and Machu Picchu.

Day 1 : Arrive Cusco, City tour including Qoricancha temple.

Day 2 : Sacsayhuaman ruins, free afternoon in Cusco

Day 3 : Travel to Pisac, visit Pisac ruins and market

Day 4 : Travel to Ollantaytambo

Day 5 : Ollantaytambo ruins tour, Train to Machu Picchu

Day 6 : Explore Machu Picchu, Train back to Cusco in afternoon

Day 7 : Free morning in Cusco, Return to Lima

Start this tour any day you like

Customise it if you wish

The Places You’ll Visit

Cusco – the Ancient Capital of the Incas

Cusco, the historic Incan capital of Peru is built on hills in a bowl surrounded by higher peaks. The tiny cobbled streets of the old city are filled to bursting with fascinating shops, restaurants and hotels catering for every taste and pocket. The Inca Empire held sway between 13th and 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors invaded. You can see the influence of both wherever you go. The women and children you meet in the street, resplendent in colourful clothes, ready for a photo opportunity with Llama’s and bonneted lambs, are likely to be Inca descendants. In the middle of the old city you’ll find an original Incan road called Hatun Ramiyoc Street.

Tempting shops face an outer wall of a 14th century palace which has since evolved in to the Museum of Religious Art. This logic-defying wall, using the original Inca construction, is a jigsaw of stones with a remarkable twelve angled one held in place by other stones which hug it perfectly. No mortar needed. According to a young Che Guevara it is an ‘enigma in stone’. It looks random until you see the repetitive design imbued with their mythology. The condor, puma and serpent are the main Andean trinity and you’ll find their depictions in jewellery, fabric designs as well as their sacred architecture. This beautiful, evocative city will be hard to tear yourself away from.

Sacsayhuaman

Above Cusco spreads an extraordinary, extensive walled complex with over two hundred archeological sites. The largest stones, close to 300 tons, show a similar jigsaw perfection to the one in the middle of Cusco. You have to take a deep breath and really look at these feats in rock because they’ll boggle your mind when you absorb the implications. Apparently, it was an Inca royal retreat or fortress but if the Inca never used the wheel, is it possible they could have wielded these megaliths at all? According to one shaman we know, water erosion at this site proves it was built prior to the last Ice Age, therefore the Inca could only have discovered it rather than built it. So the debate is still open about who, why, when and the biggest question of all, how.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas

After leaving Cusco we will head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a magnificent, fertile valley with stunning views that will have you regularly picking your jaw up from the floor! This is one of our very favourite parts of Peru and the energy in the valley is incredible and it’s not hard to understand why this valley was considered so sacred by the Incas.

You’ll be spending 5 days in the Sacred Valley and visiting several beautiful places including:

Pisac

Only an hours drive from Cusco, Pisac is a traditional and rustic village nestled in the Sacred Valley with extraordinary terraces lacing the overlooking mountains often edged with snow. Situated close by the Urubamba river Pisac is world famous for its artisan market open every day but Sundays is usually the most extensive. You will be overwhelmed by all the stunning things you can buy here at very competitive prices. As it is high in the Andes, the climate is cool and fresh and this is one of the best places to get your fill of colourful winter clothes. A place of narrow streets with streams running down the centre, plazas, tiny shops, and a burgeoning community of western people flocking to the wonderful vibrancy to run yoga retreats and many other healing modalities.

Ollantaytambo

At the far end of the Sacred Valley lies the ancient town of Ollantaytambo. Andean peaks gaze down from on high making it feel like frontier-land. Sitting by the wide plaza at the top of the town, flanked with its multitude of shops with soft-as-down alpaca poncho’s you could easily expect Clint Eastwood to ride in with a cheroot clamped between his teeth. Cobbled streets and dusty roads lead you over the gushing Urubamba past a favourite watering hole called ‘Hearts Cafe’ (well worth a visit) towards the impressive ruins of the Inca temple fortress themselves which climb up a steep shoulder of mountain in front of another market-filled plaza where you’ll also find a chocolate museum. The views from the top of the ruins, about two hundred massive steps up, is breath-taking and you can understand how the Inca’s were able to defeat the Spaniards at the battle outside these walls. A fascinating place to explore and a gateway to Machu Picchu by train.

Machu Picchu – The Lost City of the Incas

Machu Picchu has been designated one of the Seven Wonders of the World and it’s really not hard to see why. It truly is a staggering achievement guaranteed to fill you with awe and wonder from the moment you arrive. Just standing in this place is enough to raise your consciousness to a whole new level! Machu Picchu is sometimes known as the “Lost city of the Incas”, “The City of Light for Initiates” and the “Crystal City”.

It is an ancient and very sacred power place that is fed by grids of powerful natural energies. The shamanic belief is that Machu Picchu served as an initiatory centre for higher learning.

Whatever the truth, it is a mystical and enigmatic place many of us have dreamed of experiencing and yet however you imagined it to be, the reality will be far more intense and extraordinary. The view over the ruins of the citadel is as iconic as the image of Earth from space but when you stand above it as the sun creeps over the nearby peaks to light these ancient walls and terraces foot by foot you will be stunned to silence. Nothing can prepare you for the impact of seeing this extraordinary ‘crystal city’ emerge from the shadows of the dawn and your dreams.

It is a wonder-filled journey walking through the temples and gardens perched on this mountain-top eyrie surrounded and protected by higher mountain peaks. You will wake up early at 4.45am to have a quick breakfast and then get on the first bus so that you will be one of the first people through the gates when they open at 6am. This is the best time to enter Machu Picchu because you will feel like you have the place to yourself until crowds start arriving.

Trip Details

How this tour works

You can start this tour on any date you wish, just let us know on the sign-up form below.

Unlike with our group tours, you will not have a full-time guide with you for the duration of the tour. However, parts of the tour are guided.

When you arrive in Cusco you will be picked up from the airport and taken to your hotel where you will be met by an Outer Travels Inner Journeys representative who will give you an orientation briefing and provide you with all the tickets and everything else you need.

All your transport, accommodation and everything is arranged by us. You will always be picked up at your hotel at a designated time and taken to your next hotel.

If at any time you have a problem or need some help, you can easily call us and a representative will be available to help.

Included in the cost of this trip is:

Airport Pick-up in Cusco

Guided city tour of Cusco & Sacsayhuaman

6 Nights in 4 different hotels

Taxi Transfers between each hotel

Train to Machu Picchu

All Entrance Fees to Sacred Sites

What’s not included:

Your international flights to Peru

Domestic flights to Cusco

Meals (Breakfast is included at most hotels, except in Cusco)

Any fees needed for obtaining a Peruvian Visa (most people won’t need a visa)

Additional accommodations if you wish to arrive earlier or stay later than the dates indicated.

Any shopping or excursions outside the planned itinerary.

Single

$1500per person

Double / Triple

$1200per person

PAYMENT INFORMATION

We are using the Retreat.Guru service to manage bookings and payments. You can pay by credit or debit card.

You can choose to either pay the full amount when you make your reservation, or you can pay a 50% deposit and the second payment will be billed to your credit/debit card 6 weeks before the tour begins.

Register today

The sign-up form is just below…

Before registering there are a few things you should be aware of and agree with.

First of all, you need to be reasonably fit and in pretty good overall health. You’ll be at high altitude for much of the tour and it can be pretty tough on people, although the majority of people get over altitude sickness within 24 hours.

There will occasionally be walking involved at locations that are sometimes rocky and steep to climb, nothing particularly dangerous, but certainly not ideal for people with walking disabilities.

You will not be doing long hikes like the Inca Trail; however, at several locations you need to be able to be on your feet for several hours at least and also be able to climb steps.

Register

If you would like to register for this tour, please fill in the form below. Filling in this form does not constitute a booking. We will get in touch with you and then once we have agreed dates and possible customisations with you, we’ll send you a link where you can pay.